You're right, but sorta. Which is the big problem here, any simplified analogies break down.
What's happening is that you are straying further and further from the "impedance matched" condition (the inductance per unit length stays the same but the capacitance goes up with the separation--however, being "too close" will also cause similar behavior). Consequently, the energy transmitted per reflection gets smaller and smaller.
Part of the problem in this whole discussion is using a "light" as a "threshold detector" where the threshold is effectively microamps. A microamp threshold detector is not what people think of as a "lamp".
If the original Veritasium video had showed the current flow via meter, oscilloscope, etc. nobody would be terribly surprised as it would show small flows getting bigger upon each reflection until it built up to the full current.
What's happening is that you are straying further and further from the "impedance matched" condition (the inductance per unit length stays the same but the capacitance goes up with the separation--however, being "too close" will also cause similar behavior). Consequently, the energy transmitted per reflection gets smaller and smaller.
Part of the problem in this whole discussion is using a "light" as a "threshold detector" where the threshold is effectively microamps. A microamp threshold detector is not what people think of as a "lamp".
If the original Veritasium video had showed the current flow via meter, oscilloscope, etc. nobody would be terribly surprised as it would show small flows getting bigger upon each reflection until it built up to the full current.